Iran International
Tehran is once again urging Iranians abroad to return as part of its patriotic messaging after the war with Israel, but many remain deeply skeptical, citing years of repression, arrests and broken promises.
Iran’s parliament on Wednesday passed parts of a bill titled Support for Iranians Abroad that MPs say aims to help Tehran reengage with the diaspora.
Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iranians living in other countries should be able to return without fear.
His culture minister, Reza Salehi Amiri, then appeared on state TV to hammer the message home: “This land belongs to you, and we are rolling out the red carpet."
Yet skepticism runs deep.
Returnees—especially dual nationals—have often been detained, interrogated, or sentenced on vague charges such as propaganda against the system or acting against national security.
‘Almost none stayed long’
“From (President Mohammad) Khatami in the late 1990s to Pezeshkian now, everyone has tried to woo expat professionals and people with financial resources to invest back in Iran,” Kamran, a 56-year-old who runs a family business in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, told Iran International.
“I know a few who came back over the years, but almost none stayed long enough to invest.”
Kamran’s children live in Canada. He says he prefers they not return, even for short visits.
“They participated in every protest rally in Canada in recent years and have posted anti-government content online,” he explains. “That can get them into serious trouble. I won’t let them take any risks.”
Mitra, a housewife in Tehran, says her relatives avoid returning for the same reason.
“They meet their parents in countries like Turkey once or twice a year. It’s hard for their elderly parents, but they feel it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
New bill, old problems
There are an estimated 4 to 5 million Iranians living abroad—from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to Australia, North America and nearly every country in Western Europe. Collectively, their wealth is believed to exceed one trillion dollars.
To tap into that potential, parliament is reviewing a bill titled Support for Iranians Abroad, proposing easier travel, expanded consular services, looser dual citizenship restrictions, and new academic and investment incentives.
“I don’t know what the government is thinking, asking diaspora Iranians to come back and invest. They must be fools to do so when neither their lives nor their money is safe,” said Mehdi, a 45-year-old artist in Tehran.
Other critics say the real obstacles are structural: deep corruption, cronyism and the dominance of security institutions over the economy.
“Diaspora Iranians don’t just listen to officials’ words—they watch their actions,” wrote former telecom minister Mohammad-Javad Azari-Jahromi on X. “Concrete reform of policies and procedures matters more than slogans.”
Social media activist Arash Ghaffari mocked the initiative given the country's ongoing water and electricity outages.
“The honorable President has invited Iranians abroad to return to their beloved homeland, overflowing with water and electricity in the summer, an abundance of gas in the winter, a land of stable prices, an economic paradise!” he posted on X.
